Andy Robinson has refuted claims he has provided England with extra motivation ahead of this weekend's Calcutta Cup clash.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Lewington relishing chances
Leicester Tigers winger Alex Lewington is determined to make the most of the opportunities to establish a regular first team place.
Johnston in confident mood
Bristol hooker Ross Johnston is impressed by his side's form with the Championship play-offs looming, following victory over Rotherham.
Ross - We need momentum
London Welsh fly-half Gordon Ross insists that his side must learn and build momentum following their defeat to Cornish Pirates.
Armitage disappoints Lancaster
England head coach Stuart Lancaster admits he felt let down by Delon Armitage after learning of the London Irish star's arrest.
New deal for Sandford
James Sandford has signed a new two-year contract with Aviva Premiership club London Irish.
Dusautoir wary of Italy
France captain Thierry Dusautoir has warned his side that they cannot afford to underestimate Italy.
Webber heading for Bath
London Wasps have confirmed that hooker Rob Webber will be departing Adams Park at the end of the season to join Bath.
Ulster consider coach change
Ulster are reported to be ready to part company with head coach Brian McLaughlin at the end of the campaign.
Pryce targets reunion
Karl Pryce is hoping to recover from a hamstring injury in time to face brother Leon on Sunday.
Fofana to start for France
Clermont Auvergne centre Wesley Fofana will make his Test debut for France in Saturday's RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy in Paris.
Injuries mount for Wales
Wales could be without seven key players for their 2012 RBS Six Nations opener against Ireland on Sunday.
Waratahs turn to Elsom
Australia flanker Rocky Elsom has been confirmed as the new captain of the Waratahs.
Supplier plays down 'error'
An "administrative error" led to T-shirts boasting of a Scottish Calcutta Cup win being put up for sale.
Mtawarira blow for Sharks
Sharks prop Tendai Mtawarira could miss the first eight Super Rugby matches of the new season after he broke his ankle.
Fitzgerald may face France
Ireland team manager Michael Kearney has confirmed that Luke Fitzgerald may be available for their second Six Nations match.
Robshaw out to raise standards
New England captain Chris Robshaw insists Stuart Lancaster's squad are determined represent their country in the right light.
Hartley relishing the challenge
England have not won at Murrayfield since 2004 but hooker Dylan Hartley reckons that will not be an issue for this inexperienced squad.
Jones to make Scotland bow
Scotland coach Andy Robinson will hand uncapped Edinburgh winger Lee Jones a debut against England on Saturday.
Rowntree backing youth
Graham Rowntree has backed a young and inexperienced England side to quell the Scottish passion in Saturday's Calcutta Cup showdown.
Millward - Wigan was a mistake
New Castleford coach Ian Millward admits he made a mistake taking the Wigan job in 2005, but has recovered and is ready to build again.
Monday, 30 January 2012
Harlequins v Leicester: Teams
Quins will be looking forward to a welcome return to the Stoop on Saturday, having been there only once in the past seven weeks.
Gopperth sinks Sharks
Gary Gold celebrated his first match in charge at Newcastle with an emphatic 37-7 win over Sale on Sunday.
Dragons draft in Fisher
Catalans Dragons have bolstered their injury-hit squad with the loan signing of hooker Ben Fisher from Batley Bulldogs.
Veivers wants no favours
Josh Veivers does not expect any favour from his new boss at Salford City Reds, who also happens to be his father.
Newcastle v Sale: Teams
New Falcons boss Gary Gold makes five changes for his first game in charge as Newcastle prepare to face Sale Sharks in the LV=Cup.
Ashton eager to make amends
Chris Ashton is determined to win back the hearts of the English rugby public during England's RBS 6 Nations title defence.
Dream debut for Tomkins
Joel Tomkins scored two tries on his Saracens debut as the hosts secured a 41-14 LV= Cup win over Worcester at Vicarage Road.
Bath v Northampton: Teams
Northampton goes into Saturday's clash with Bath with wholesale changes following ten players leaving for representative duties.
Blues sign Cambridge duo
Second-place Championship side Bedford Blues have added depth to their squad ahead of the play-offs two new signings from Cambridge.
Kings set for Super Rugby
Eastern Cape side Southern Kings has received confirmation that they will make their Super Rugby debut next season.
Long not planning comeback
Sean Long says he is "loving" his new role as Salford assistant coach and has no plans to come out of retirement.
Tovey committed to Bristol
Championship leaders Bristol have received yet another boost to their promotion bid as winger Jack Tovey commits his future to the club.
Heart surgery for Thomas
Scarlets prop Rhys Thomas is in a "comfortable condition" after undergoing heart surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
Late England calls for duo
Matt Banahan and Thomas Waldrom have linked up with England's RBS 6 Nations squad in place of Henry Trinder and Luke Narraway.
Boudjellal to appeal ban
Outspoken Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal has said he would appeal the ban handed down to him after his criticism of referees.
Toulon put 50 on Bayonne
Toulon put 50 points on Bayonne in a result that sees the latter side replacing a Agen at the bottom of the Top 14.
Broncos targeting new home
London Broncos chief executive Gus Mackay is determined to find a new long-term home for the Super League outfit.
Gloucester v Cardiff: Teams
LV=Cup champions Gloucester continue their defence on Saturday against Cardiff Blues with Ollie Phillips set to make his debut.
Henry blasts wasteful England
World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry has blasted England for wasting the talent they have in their squad.
Robshaw handed captaincy
Chris Robshaw was confirmed as England's captain for their Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland by head coach Stuart Lancaster on Monday.
Gloucester confirm Twelvetrees
Billy Twelvetrees has confirmed that he will be joining Gloucester at the end of the season after deciding to leave Leicester.
Mathers felt like an outcast
Richard Mathers is relishing his new life at Wakefield after feeling like an outcast at Castleford.
Agar thinks long-term
New Wakefield coach Richard Agar is looking to prove people wrong as he looks to build a solid future for the Wildcats.
Pavanello handed ban
Treviso forward Antonio Pavanello has been banned for two matches for stamping against Saracens.
Montpellier stun sorry Stade
Montpellier put themselves back in contention for the Top 14 play-offs with a 38-6 victory over Stade Francais on Friday night.
Abendanon signs on at Bath
Bath have announced that their England full-back Nick Abendanon has signed a new three-year contract with the club.
England suspend Armitage
Delon Armitage has been suspended from the England Saxons Elite Player Squad following an allegation of assault.
Wolves win in Sydney
Warrington's training camp in Australia ended with a 34-28 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Young hit with eight-week ban
Leicester scrum-half Micky Young has been suspended for eight weeks for making contact with the eye area of Aironi wing Giulio Toniolatti.
'Great week' for Lancaster
Interim England coach Stuart Lancaster feels his squad's training camp in Leeds has already been a massive success.
Wasps v Exeter: Teams
Heinz Koll and Lee Robinson will make their debuts for London Wasps in Saturday's LV= Cup clash against Exeter at Adams Park.
Title target for Gower
London Broncos back Craig Gower is targeting Super League supremacy on his return to rugby league.
Ospreys soar over Dragons
The Ospreys claimed their first win in this year's LV=Cup and all but ended Newport Gwent Dragons' slim hopes of progressing with a 26-21 victory
Saracens v Worcester: Teams
Joel Tomkins is set to make his Saracens debut after being named at outside centre for the LV= Cup clash with Worcester on Sunday.
Kent switch for Broncos
London Broncos will play one of their Super League games in Kent as part of their efforts to spread the game and find a new home.
Pocock to skipper Force
Australia international David Pocock will captain the Western Force for the upcoming Super 15 season.
Gold delighted with win
Newcastle's new director of rugby Gary Gold said he was delighted with the Falcons LV= Cup victory over Sale.
Davies: Win was for Rhys
Scarlets head coach Nigel Davies said a good luck message from ailing prop Rhys Thomas helped inspire his side.
Ospreys v Dragons: Teams
The Ospreys and Dragons will play the first Welsh regional derby in Bridgend since 2004 when they go head-to-head in the LV= Cup.
Saint Andre: Consistency is key
Consistency will be the primary focus for France in this year's Six Nations according to new coach Philippe Saint Andre.
Briscoe backing I-Pitch
Shaun Briscoe thinks Widnes' artificial pitch will give them a good chance of staying competitive on their return to Super League.
Ratchford out to impress
Warrington's Stefan Ratchford will get the chance to stake a claim for his favoured position on Saturday.
Radford sent off on a high
Hull defeated Bradford 46-6 as the teams celebrated the career of Lee Radford in Sunday's testimonial.
Wolfhounds named in Irish squad
Five uncapped players have been named in Ireland's 32-man squad for Sunday's RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales.
Scarlets close on semi spot
The Scarlets closed in on an LV= Cup semi-final berth with a 27-19 victory over London Irish on Saturday.
Scarlets v L Irish: Teams
Fly-half Daniel Bowden is back in the London Irish starting line-up for their LV= Cup clash with Scarlets on Saturday.
Narraway doubt for England
England may be forced into calling for another flanker after Gloucester captain Luke Narraway was injured in training.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Titans add Armes
Rotherham Titans have bolstered their play-off hopes with the signing of Tom Armes on a dual registration deal from Leicester Tigers.
Injury worries for Rovers
Hull KR captain Ben Galea looks set to miss the start of the new season after he was hurt during the 36-18 victory over Hull.
Jones heads to Bristol
Bristol have continued their recruitment drive ahead of the RFU Championship play-offs with the signing of fly-half Matthew Jones.
Triple boost for Scottish
London Scottish have announced the signings of Ollie Hayes, Gerard Mullen and Zane Winslade for the rest of the season.
Kite flies into Widnes
Super League newcomers Widnes have signed Melbourne Storm prop forward Sione Kite on a one-year deal.
RFL buy Odsal from Bulls
The Rugby Football League have purchased Odsal Stadium from Bradford Bulls and will rent the venue back to them.
Brunel plans to engineer success
New coach Jacques Brunel declared he could transform Italy into Six Nations title contenders within two years.
Knee blow for Galea
Hull KR have suffered a blow ahead of the Super League season with Ben Galea ruled out for up to three months.
Club success can boost Ireland
Lock Paul O'Connell is hoping that Ireland will take positive energy from their domestic sides' success in Europe.
Smith back with Knights
Doncaster Knights have re-signed former second-row Dan Smith from Barking after he recovered from a disc injury in his back.
Yarde, Sisi sign new deals
London Irish winger Marland Yarde has signed a new two-year contract with the club.
Bristol bag Bath prop
Championship leaders Bristol have strengthened their squad ahead of the play-offs with the addition of Mark Lilley from Bath.
Warburton: No fear factor
Sam Warburton says Wales must follow their World Cup mantra and show no fear when they kick off their RBS Six Nations bid.
Gelling eyes fresh start
Wigan new boy Anthony Gelling expects to be the butt of some toilet humour following his arrival in Super League this year.
Dragons injury crisis
Catalan Dragons have lost three key players to injury ahead of the start of the Super League season in two weeks' time.
Dragons wingless for opener
Catalan Dragons will go into their opening Super League match at Bradford without a specialist winger.
End of an era for Salford
Following 111 years at The Willows, Salford City Reds have relocated to their new home in The City of Salford Community Stadium.
Time matters to Saint-Andre
New France boss Philippe Saint-Andre has demanded more help at home as he looks to make Les Bleus a major force in world rugby.
Jones joins Bristol
Bristol are continuing to bolster their squad ahead of the play-offs with Matthew Jones joining from Newport Gwent Dragons.
Duo to share Bulls captaincy
Bradford have named hooking rivals Heath L'Estrange and Matt Diskin as their joint captains.
Murphy boost for Giants
Huddersfield's new signing Aaron Murphy has been cleared to start the new season after recovering from a wrist injury.
Leeds give Williamson hope
Championship team Leeds Carnegie have completed the signing of former Newcastle Falcons flanker Ed Williamson for the rest of the season.
Kidney lines up BOD stand-in
Ireland coach Declan Kidney says he has a fair idea now who will replace the incomparable Brian O'Driscoll in the RBS Six Nations.
Tomkins committed to Wigan
Sam Tomkins is eager to play rugby union for the Barbarians again, but insists that he is not planning to switch codes permanently.
Wasps sign Russian duo
Wasps have signed Russia internationals Vladislav Korshunov and Victor Gresev until the end of the season.
Gaskell to captain Saxons
Sale back-rower James Gaskell will skipper an England Saxons side featuring five full internationals against the Ireland Wolfhounds at Exeter on Saturday.
Wilkin wants RFL backing
England international Jon Wilkin has called on the RFL to recognise the newly-formed Super League Players Association.
RFL confirm new sponsor
The RFL are celebrating a three-year sponsorship deal with the Stobart Group they believe could be worth up to ?2.5m a year.
Tigers grab Grehan
Castleford have signed Australian centre or back row forward James Grehan from French club Limoux on a one-year deal.
Shock call for Attoub
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has called Stade Francais prop David Attoub into his 23-man squad to face Italy.
Lancaster wants team of captains
England interim head coach Stuart Lancaster wants a team of leaders and plans to appoint his captain on a game-by-game basis.
Gentle at home with Hull
New Hull coach Peter Gentle insists he has no intention of using his stint in England as a "stepping stone" to a job in the NRL.
Watkins commits to Leeds
Kallum Watkins has become the latest player to sign a new five-year contract with Leeds Rhinos.
Tomkins stars in Wigan win
Sam Tomkins put in an impressive display on his first appearance of 2012 as Wigan claimed a 16-10 pre-season victory over Salford.
Waterhouse to face Souths
Trent Waterhouse will make his first appearance for Warrington in Saturday's friendly against South Sydney at Redfern Oval.
Vikings looking to raid again
Widnes coach Denis Betts is hoping to add one more signing to completed his squad for the club's return to Super League.
Duo advise England squad
England's Six Nations squad are getting some expert advice from rugby league star Kevin Sinfield and former footballer Gary Neville.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
NZ contracts 'up for grabs'
New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens has named a 30-strong training squad ahead of the Wellington leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series.
Illness sidelines Hull duo
Illness has forced Mike Burnett and Tony Martin to miss Hull's pre-season training camp in Tenerife.
RFL continue sponsorship talks
The Rugby Football League are still searching for a sponsor ahead of the new Super League season.
Nallet recalled by France
France have drafted veteran lock Lionel Nallet into their squad for the RBS Six Nations opener against Italy.
Scott rewarded by Edinburgh
Edinburgh centre Matt Scott has been rewarded for his fine start to the season with a new deal.
Holland rules out Blues move
New Cardiff Blues chief executive Richard Holland insists the club's future lies at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Force fly-half Ripia quits
The Western Force have accepted Willie Ripia's resignation from the franchise after a "serious breach of team protocols".
Wade blow for Wasps
Wasps have received yet more bad news after it was confirmed that wing Christian Wade will be sidelined for three months.
Dons close on Cooke
Championship One club Doncaster are nearing a deal to sign former Super League player Paul Cooke.
Schatz commits to Reds
Reds flanker Jake Schatz has agreed a new three-year deal to remain at the Suncorp Stadium.
Smith: Dragons need fire
Ashley Smith is expecting the Dragons to do all they can to progress in the Amlin Challenge Cup despite relying on other results.
Ospreys duo to face panel
Ospreys back rows George Stowers and Jonathan Thomas will face a disciplinary panel after being cited.
Dallaglio backs Care decision
Lawrence Dallaglio says Stuart Lancaster was right to drop Danny Care for the Six Nations squad over a drink-driving rap.
New setback for Grieve
Bristol captain Iain Grieve is facing at least a month on the sidelines after fracturing his eye socket.
England aim for best ever
The man in charge of organising the 2015 Rugby World Cup says the RFU want to deliver the best ever edition of the tournament.
Fitness boost for Tigers duo
Kirk Dixon and Jake Emmitt will make their comebacks from injury in Castleford's friendly against Huddersfield.
Six Nations blow for Leamy
Back-rower Denis Leamy has been rocked by news he will miss the Six Nations because of his troublesome hip injury.
Worcester stand firm
Worcester Warriors director Charlie Little is adamant the club will not be drawn into a bidding war.
Hill - Farrell like Wilkinson
England World Cup winner Richard Hill believes feels Owen Farrell's work ethic lends itself to comparisons with Jonny Wilkinson.
Eddie commits to Warriors
Glasgow Warriors have been boosted by the news that James Eddie will remain at the club for another two seasons.
Erasmus confirms Stormers exit
Rassie Erasmus has confirmed he is to leave the Stormers after more than four years as the club.
Uphill task for Warriors
Glasgow Warriors face their toughest test of the season as they face reigning champions Leinster at Firhill on Sunday.
Biarritz prepared to fight
Saracens head into their match against Biarritz on Sunday knowing that victory will secure qualification for the knockout stages.
York deal for Tansey
York City Knights have confirmed they have signed former Leeds, Hull and Crusaders utility player Jordan Tansey.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Wasps stumped by Twelvetrees
Billy Twelvetrees scored every point for Leicester as the Tigers condemned Wasps to a sixth straight Aviva Premiership defeat.
Angry Smith defends role
Former England attack coach Brian Smith has defended his role amid post-World Cup criticism of the side's performance.
Ashton won't be rushed
Northampton winger Chris Ashton insists he has yet to make a decision on his future.
Bonus night for Ulster
Ulster crossed for four tries in a bonus-point victory over Edinburgh at a windswept Murrayfield.
Goode inspires Warriors
Worcester made it back-to-back Aviva Premierships wins with a gritty 21-15 victory over Gloucester at Sixways.
Tait considers Falcons future
Newcastle boss Alan Tait will mull over his future with the club after defeat at home to Exeter left them stranded at the bottom of the table.
Leinster scrape past Blues
Leinster extended their lead at the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table after a narrow 23-19 away win against Cardiff Blues.
Jet-set life for Waterhouse
Trent Waterhouse will have clocked up around 36,000 miles by the time he makes his Warrington debut.
Chiefs add to Falcons woes
Exeter got back to winning ways in the Aviva Premiership as they beat bottom side Newcastle 16-10 at Kingston Park.
Wild appointed Salford captain
Salford have named former Wigan and Huddersfield back-row forward Stephen Wild as their new captain for 2012.
Hill happy for Goode
Worcester head coach Richard Hill paid tribute to Andy Goode after the Warriors overcame Aviva Premiership rivals Gloucester 21-15.
Aironi send Connacht packing
Aironi recorded only their third PRO12 win of the season when they beat Connacht 20-6 at the Stadio Zaffanella on Saturday.
Millo-Chluski blow for France
France lock Romain Millo-Chluski could miss the entire Six Nations after suffering a shoulder injury in Toulouse's 51-10 victory over Lyon.
Cockerill hails Twelvetrees
Leicester boss Richard Cockerill hailed the improvements in Billy Twelvetrees' game after he scored all 29 points against Wasps.
Welcome bonus for Munster
Munster reclaimed third place in the RoboDirect PRO12 table after securing a 29-11 bonus-point victory over Treviso.
Biarritz breath again
Biarritz climbed off the bottom of the Top 14 standings on Friday with a crucial 15-6 victory on the road to Agen.
Dragons edge derby thriller
Dragons held on for a 21-20 victory over Ospreys after Dan Biggar's last-gasp drop-goal attempt rebounded off a post.
Stade win nine-try thriller
Stade Fran?ais were the big winners in the Top 14 on Saturday after running six tries past Castres while Perpignan drew with Racing.
Scarlets see off Warriors
Rhys Priestland kicked 11 points and Gareth Davies scored the decisive try as the Scarlets beat Galsgow 16-14 at Parc y Scarlets.
Slick Saints sink Quins
Northampton inflicted only Harlequins' second league defeat of the season as they ran out convincing 24-3 winners at Franklin's Gardens.
Win delights Mallinder
Northampton head coach Jim Mallinder paid tribute to his team's all-round performance in beating Premiership leaders Harlequins.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
O'Connell staying put
Ireland captain Paul O'Connell will remain with Munster until the summer of 2014 after agreeing a new two-year contract.
Peacock honoured with MBE
England captain Jamie Peacock and former dual-code international Bev Risman have both received New Year Honours.
Dragons v Ospreys: Teams
Wales winger Aled Brew has been moved to the centres by the Dragons for their clash with the Ospreys.
France call up uncapped duo
Uncapped duo Westley Fofana and Yoann Maestri have been named in Philippe Saint-Andre's first France squad.
Northampton v Quins: Teams
Northampton have recalled Chris Ashton for Friday's enticing Aviva Premiership encounter with table-topping Harlequins.
Varndell: It's unacceptable
Wasps winger Tom Varndell has claimed the club's current league form is "simply unacceptable".
Vainikolo agrees French switch
Former England international wing Lesley Vainikolo has left Gloucester to join French second division outfit La Rochelle.
Saints confident despite damage
St Helens are confident their first match at the new Langtree Park stadium will go ahead despite storm damage.
Smith admits Australia gamble
Tony Smith insists he is happy to risk his side being jet-lagged for the start of Super League season after their trip to Australia.
Hard work the key for Jones
London Welsh boss Lyn Jones has called on his side to dig deep to arrest their current slump in form.
Wing worries for Hill
Worcester boss Richard Hill has admitted he "wouldn't be surprised" if both Miles Benjamin and Marcel Garvey left the club.
Japan bid for Tuilagi
Leicester Tigers boss Richard Cockerill admits he faces a fight to keep hold of star winger Alesana Tuilagi.
SRU defend Shingler selection
The Scottish Rugby Union insist they have acted in "good faith" with the selection of Swansea-born Steven Shingler.
Montagu remains focused
Bristol No.8 Dan Montagu claims the club are not getting carried away by their resurgence in the RFU Championship.
New Leeds base for England
England's pre-Six Nations training camp will be based in Leeds rather than Portugal, it has been revealed.
Ojo's warning to Sharks
Topsy Ojo has warned top-four rivals Sale that London Irish will "come out all guns blazing" in Sunday's Premiership clash.
Owen summoned by Tigers
Castleford have called Richard Owen to an internal disciplinary hearing, while Ryan Shaw has joined the Tigers on loan.
Edinburgh v Ulster: Teams
Edinburgh have made wholesale changes to their line-up for the crunch clash with Ulster on Friday.
Wilkinson backing for Lancaster
Jonny Wilkinson tells skysports.com Stuart Lancaster is the perfect man to instil the correct virtues in a new dawn for England.
Mabeta out for the season
Bulls lock Fudge Mabeta will miss the entire Super Rugby season after being injured in a car accident during December.
Shingler given Scotland call
Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has named six uncapped players his 36-man squad for the upcoming RBS Six Nations.
Giants short on props
Huddersfield Giants are facing a prop shortage ahead of their opening Super League game at Wigan next month.
Lamb eyes consistency
Northampton fly-half Ryan Lamb is determined to build on his impressive start to life at Franklin's Gardens.
Aspinall back after fine
Hull's new signing Martin Aspinwall will return to pre-season training next week after he was punished by the courts.
Clarke to lead Vikings
Former Warrington hooker Jon Clarke will lead Widnes Vikings on their return to Super League in 2012, the club have announced.
Fitness fears for Flood
England are waiting to find out the extent of the knee injury suffered in training by Leicester fly-half Toby Flood.
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